


Valentine's Day

by storm_8



Series: Joys of Motherhood [45]
Category: Women's Murder Club (TV)
Genre: F/F, Original Character(s), Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-24
Updated: 2013-06-24
Packaged: 2017-12-16 01:18:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/856126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storm_8/pseuds/storm_8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ash and Lily have a Valentine's Day tradition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Valentine's Day

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own the show or its characters. I merely borrow them for everyone's enjoyment.  
> I do own the original characters: I am quite fond of them!  
> I also own the poem. I wrote it many years ago and decided to include in the story.  
> All mistakes are mine.

The first time Ashley wanted to celebrate Valentine’s Day she had been three years old and, after having Cindy explain to her what the day was all about, the girl insisted on getting something for her little sister, because she loved her very much. Cindy had giggled at her daughter’s determined expression and Lindsay promised to take her to get her younger sister a present.

The small brunette had been a bit overwhelmed once they got to the mall. She had looked around at all the pink and red decorations, heart shaped and otherwise, all the fluffy teddy bears, pillows, flowers and chocolates with incredibly wide eyes. Lindsay lifted the shocked girl into her arms and started walking around, trying not to cringe at all the pink.

In the end, Ashley had settled on a red rose and a small teddy bear holding a fluffy heart. Lily had been incredibly delighted and had given her sister a big hug and a shy thank you.

It became a tradition then. Every Valentine’s Day, the girl would drag one of her mothers out in search of a cute, fluffy, pink gift for her sister. The redhead started doing the same once she reached the age of three; her big sister was the best in the world and she needed more penguins (including pink ones) for her ever-growing collection.

******

 

_February 13 th, afternoon…_

 

Lily skipped happily around the house, patting the curious looking Martha as she went and giggling to herself. Lindsay peered over the newspaper she was reading and raised an eyebrow at the flamboyant girl as she disappeared down the hall.

Ashley was in her room staring critically into her closet, trying to determine which outfit she would be wearing the next day, while going through a mental checklist of things she was supposed to have on her person (it wouldn’t do to go on a Valentine’s Day date without the gift for said date). She was also mentally cursing the stupid sales idiot that had mixed up her order and had required she show up with her badge-wielding mother to sort out the entire mess. And even then it hadn’t helped much; she’d had to reschedule her entire day because of it.

Lily poked her head into her sister’s room and grinned. “What’cha doing sis?”

“What’s it look like I’m doing?” The older girl rolled her eyes, not even bothering to turn around.

The redhead giggled and skipped to her grumpy sibling’s side, joining her in the closet perusal. “Are you wearing a dress to your date tomorrow?” She asked with an evil twinkle in her eye.

Ashley sneered and smacked the girl on the shoulder. “No, you bubbly idiot! I’m just thinking whether I’ll need an extra shirt or not. Since I’m staying at Sam’s tonight and then going to school _and_ a date tomorrow, I don’t know if I should change between school and said date…” She kept mumbling to herself, flipping through the hangers and taking out a dark pair of jeans.

Lily frowned. “You’re staying at Sam’s tonight? I thought that would be tomorrow; I mean, _tomorrow_ is the 14 th…”

“Yes, Lily. I’m well aware of the date. I just changed my plans around… I’m staying at Sam’s tonight, then I’ll go to school, we’ll go on a movie-slash-walk-in-the-park date and then I’ll come home around dinner time, so our moms can go out.”

“But what about our…” The girl trailed off, looking up at the brunette teen with sad eyes.

“Our what?” Ash asked, rummaging through a drawer for some socks and tossing them on her bed where her overnight bag was sitting.

“Never mind…” was the quiet reply, before the younger redhead quickly exited the room. Her sister looked at the spot she had just stood in with a furrowed brow.

******

 

Ashley waved at her mothers and sister and ran out the front door. Cindy shook her head and sighed; Lindsay smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “You make it sound like we’ll never see her again. In fact, every time she stays the night at Sam’s you act like a mother who just saw her daughter off to college in a foreign country across the ocean…”

The reporter scowled. “That is an exaggeration.” She got up from the couch and disappeared into the kitchen to start making dinner.

The inspector watched on amusedly and then turned to her youngest daughter. “You’d think she’d have gotten used to this by now… They _have_ been dating for almost a year now…” Lily merely glared and got up as well, stomping off to her room and slamming the door shut.

Lindsay blinked in bewilderment. “What is it with these women today?” She asked out loud. Martha seemed to shrug before she went back to her snoozing.

******

 

_February 14 th, morning…_

 

Lily woke up in a sour mood and, in the process of kicking the covers off herself, her legs got tangled in the sheets and she fell on the floor in a rather ungraceful heap. The girl growled menacingly and stood, stomping off into the bathroom across the hall to take a shower.

Lindsay heard the door slam from the kitchen. She glanced at her lover, who had her head stuck in the fridge and was taking out some cheese, butter and jam. “Do you know why Lily is in such a foul mood? Since yesterday evening, she hasn’t said more than two words and when she does, she grumbles and growls and then stomps off.”

“Linz, she’s a 15 year old teenage girl. Who knows why she does what she does…” Was the somewhat snarky reply. The inspector frowned; the two redheads were angry about something and she was 99.9% sure it was _not_ her fault this time around.

A few minutes later, the younger redhead walked into the kitchen and sat down across from her brunette mother. She pulled her wet hair out of her face and straightened her robe, before grabbing two slices of bread and a knife. Cindy was still looking into the fridge, making a shopping list on her notepad.

Lindsay looked from one redhead to the other, her frown only deepening. “Alright.” She set her coffee cup down. “What in the world is wrong with you two? Is this because Ash spent the night with Sam?” Cindy cringed at that particular wording “Because she has done so many times before…”

The reporter didn’t reply and the girl just shrugged and went back to her food. The brunette decided to drop it, but kept her eyes trained on them. By the time she pulled out of her driveway to drop her daughter off at school, she was sure she knew what had Lily in such a grouchy mood. Cindy’s attitude was rather normal by now, so she wasn’t too worried; all it would take was for Ashley to set foot in the house again that evening and the reporter would be all perky once more.

******

 

Ashley was having a rather good morning. Waking up to have one’s girlfriend snuggled up close was always a perk in her book and she had managed to go through the entirety of English Lit. without Mrs. Sullivan calling out on her more than obvious distraction. But then again, the good Mrs. Sullivan was in a ridiculous good mood that day, so the teen was not going to complain (she was sure that the huge bouquet of roses sitting on her teacher’s desk, on display for everyone to see, was the reason for her new found perkiness).

The one drawback in her day so far was the absence of her sister. She had not seen Lily all morning and when she’d asked some of the girl’s friends on her whereabouts, she only got headshakes in reply and the odd mumble about the redhead being on the warpath.

It was highly unusual for the siblings not to see each other during school, and Ashley was determined to find her sister and talk to her; especially because she had noticed how sulky the other girl had been the previous evening.

She only managed to catch up to the redhead 5 minutes after the final bell of the day; Lily was rummaging through her locker, getting the books she needed to do her homework.

“Hey, Lil. Where have you been? I haven’t seen you all day…”

The girl jumped slightly, but quickly recovered. She barely spared a glance to her sister, stuffing her History book in her backpack. “I’ve been here all morning, until now. Just like you.”

Ashley frowned. “Lily. Are you mad at me?”

“No.” She slammed her locker shut and started walking toward the exit.

The older girl scrambled after her, weaving around other students and trying not to lose sight of the fast-walking girl.

“Lil, come on. It sounds like you’re mad at me… What did I do?” She paused momentarily and then continued after her sister. “Or, what _didn’t_ I do?”

Lily glared over her shoulder as she stepped out of the school building and into the parking lot. There was a honk from their right, Sam sticking her hand out the driver’s side window and waving at them.

The redhead’s glare only intensified, to a point where Ashley was sure she had been taking lessons from their brunette mother. “Lil?” She watched as the girl kept on going, getting into Cindy’s car, never once turning around.

“Hey, is everything okay?” Sam asked slightly concerned, sidling up to her girlfriend.

“I have no clue, honestly. She’s been incredibly moody since yesterday and I have no idea what I did or didn’t do for her to be angry at me…” The brunette sighed.

“Well, we should get to the mall so you can get her gift. Maybe it’ll cheer her up…” The blonde said, interlacing their hands and giving a gentle tug.

Ashley smiled and turned, giving her girlfriend a kiss hello. “Yeah, she will love it and hopefully forget all about this grumpiness… Eh, maybe she’s PMSing…” Sam laughed.

******

 

Lindsay watched as her youngest daughter came through the morgue doors and stalked towards Claire’s office, barely acknowledging the presence of anyone else in the room. The M.E. looked up from her autopsy with a raised eyebrow and Jill craned her neck to peer into her friend’s office, seeing the girl plop unceremoniously on the couch and start her homework.

The two women turned as one to look at their two friends questioningly. Cindy looked at her lover, who frowned. “What? Not my fault! She’s just been a bit… moody since yesterday evening. And so have you.” The inspector pointed an accusing finger at the reporter.

“My ‘moodiness’ is very legit!” She defended, waving a pen around. “I mean, Ashley is not old enough to be spending time… _alone_ … with her girlfriend in an **_empty_** house.”

Lindsay smirked. “Exactly what do you think they were doing last night? Just because Sam’s father was working and her mother is away at a conference, it does not mean that they were having se-”

Cindy clamped a hand over her lover’s mouth and glared heatedly. “I _dare_ you to say that word in regards to my eldest daughter. You’ll be sleeping on Jill’s couch for a week.” She threatened.

The blonde attorney gaped, while Claire looked from one woman to the other.

The inspector raised both her hands in a placating gesture, but smiled nonetheless when her lover removed her hand. “Cindy, the only reason Ash wanted to stay last night with Sam was because of the almighty fuck up caused by that idiot at the jewellery store where she ordered Lily’s Valentine’s Day gift. You know how the girls are about their tradition.” She said quietly, not wanting her youngest daughter to overhear.

Cindy blinked confusedly.

“Ashley ordered this bracelet last month and when she went to pick it up two weeks ago, they had ‘misplaced’ the order. She was told they could make a new one, but it would take another month, since they were rather busy with this day coming up. She called me and I _persuaded_ that idiot to get it done immediately or he would find himself without a job. The quickest they could have it ready was this afternoon…”

“And Ash decided to spend the night at Sam’s so she could pick it up today and give it to Lily when she got home, without having to come up with an excuse as to why she didn’t have the gift this morning.” The reporter concluded, chuckling to herself.

“Yeah. Even if she did say that there was a delay at the store, Lily would have probably been disappointed.”

“Are we sure that she is _your_ biological daughter Linz?” Jill asked, hands on her hips. “Because there is no way that such a thoughtful, bordering on romantic, girl is genetically related to _you_ … And all of this for her own sister.”

Lindsay glared at her friend. “Shut up! I can be romantic!”

Cindy’s raised eyebrow and pointed look said it all; Jill burst out into hysterical laughter.

******

 

Ashley was quickly losing her patience. She stood by the counter at the jewellery store tapping her foot and arms crossed over her chest, glaring at the salesman who started the whole mess in the first place.

She and Sam had been waiting for over ten minutes already, while the sales-idiot (as she had started referring to him two weeks prior) took his sweet time talking to another customer and throwing the odd self-satisfied smirk their way.

Sam rubbed a soothing hand up and down her girlfriend’s back. “As much as you want to hit him, and I know do, can you not start a scene?” She joked.

The brunette smirked then. “Oh I won’t start a scene…” She hissed, an evil gleam taking over her features. She pulled out her cell phone and dialled her mother’s number.

As soon as the inspector picked up, Ashley made sure to lock eyes with the sales-idiot. “Hey mom!” She greeted cheerfully.

“Uh… Hi Ash…” Lindsay replied, looking at Denise confusedly. The attorney merely raised an eyebrow and laced her hands together on top of the file she had just been discussing with the brunette.

“So, I’m at the jewellery store now… Have been here for the past 15 minutes actually and have yet to be addressed by anyone working here. They all seem rather busy…”

The woman chuckled and took the phone away from ear, laying it on the desk and putting it on speaker. “You have to listen to this…” She told Denise.

Ashley kept her gaze on the salesman, who had stopped listening to his bubbly customer and was throwing a dirty look her way. “Who has to listen to this?”

“It’s me.” The attorney said. “What is going on?”

“Aunt Denise! How good to hear from you!”

Lindsay tried desperately not to burst out laughing at the other woman’s alarmed look.

“So, as I was saying…” The girl continued not giving her aunt a chance to respond. “I’m at the jewellery store where I ordered Lily’s Valentine’s Day gift and where they then _misplaced_ my order, and then told me it would take another month to get it done. And when mom, who brought her badge and gun on full display, came in to help me out, they still couldn’t make the gift in time; which then turned my plans for today completely upside down. And I realised an hour ago that my sister is mad at me, because she didn’t get her gift this morning; like we do every year. _Because it’s tradition._ ”

Everyone present in the store was staring at the girl, as she delivered that monologue in an overly sweet voice and in one single breath. The salesman had a sour look on his face, but had yet to move to get the brunette’s order.

Ashley narrowed her eyes evilly. “Anyways, while I wait for them to notice me, I thought I’d call and ask how your day was going. Shoot anyone today yet mom? And aunt Denise, how was that meeting you had this morning with the Mayor? Are you finally being considered for the position of District Attorney, instead of just Assistant DA?”

Denise raised an eyebrow and then smirked in amusement. Lindsay was beside herself with laughter. “Ashley dear, do put that _overly competent_ salesman on the phone would you?”

The girl’s smirk got impossibly wider. She stepped up to the man in question, who started to go pale with every step she took. “Excuse me, but my aunt, ADA Denise Kwon, would like to speak to you.” She said in a sweet and innocent tone, holding out her phone.

Sam watched him grab the device with a shaky hand; she sighed deeply and shook her head in dismay. What she wouldn’t tell anyone was that she actually thought this was funny and, damn, her girlfriend was awesome!

Ashley leaned against the counter and fiddled with a loose thread on her backpack, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Everyone else had yet to return to what they had been doing before.

And before a full minute had passed, the phone was being thrust her way again and then the man practically ran into the storage area, knocking into a colleague as he went and sending a small collection of rings to the floor.

The crash shocked everyone out of their stupor and soon the store was abuzz with conversation and advice on which piece of jewellery goes best with what again.

“Thanks, aunt Denise. You’re totally my favourite aunt, but don’t tell aunt Jill I said that.”

“You’re welcome.” Was the amused reply. Lindsay was still laughing in the background.

The brunette girl sighed, Sam coming up to her side and lacing their hands together. “So, how mad is Lily? Because she ignored me all day in school and then gave me a glare that I honestly thought no one could pull off except you mom…”

“She is unusually grumpy and in such a foul mood.” The inspector replied, clearing her throat and trying to control her amusement. Her daughter’s forlorn sigh was clearly audible through the line. “Hey, don’t worry. I’m sure everything will work itself out.”

“I can only hope so. The girl has Boxer laser vision too; it was kinda scary.”

Both women chuckled. “Don’t forget your mother’s present as well. It won’t do for me to go on this incredibly romantic and awfully expensive dinner with your mother and not have something to give her.”

“Awww mom, how romantic…” A wide grin spread across the teen’s face. “And not to worry. Mr. Howell is back. And with the manager too! Imagine that…” She hung up, just as the two men stopped in front of her with both hers and her mother’s orders.

******

 

_That evening…_

 

Ash and Sam stepped out of the older girl’s car and after locking it, proceeded into the house, hands linked and bright smiles on their faces.

“That was such a fun, romantic movie.” The blonde gushed, opening the front door. “Have I told you how much of a romantic you are?”

The brunette blushed. “Yeah, several times. And I looked up the info on the movie; wanted to make sure it was cheesy enough but still funny. And I have to say that the guy’s reaction to that first ultrasound was hilarious. He just fainted!” She laughed, recalling that scene again.

Sam shook her head and pulled her girlfriend inside.

Dr. Parker stuck his head out the living room. “Hello girls. How was the date? Any shiny new gifts?”

His daughter giggled, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “Movie was romantic and funny. And we’ll be exchanging gifts now, before Ash goes home. She has to go make amends with Lily; she’s a bit _irritable_ today…”

Ashley snorted. “Understatement of the year…” She waved at the man, following the older girl up the stairs.

They sat on the floor close to each other and holding their wrapped gifts.

“You really are a romantic at heart…” Sam whispered, eyeing the single red rose attached to her small package as the brunette handed it over. The other girl grinned sheepishly and accepted her own pink and red wrapped gift.

The blonde girl opened hers first, placing the rose carefully on her bed, to add later to her 12-rose bouquet that she’d gotten that morning. She then raised an eyebrow at the photo album she was presented with. There was a picture of the two of them on the front along with their names and the date of the day they first met.

“Open it…” The other girl whispered, watching the blonde’s reactions intently.

Sam did as told and was incredibly shocked to find a poem on the very first page. She was even more shocked when she vaguely recognized the words from another poem Ashley had scribbled down on a notebook sometime ago; it had been changed and perfected, and some more verses were added.

 

** How it feels like **

I know what it feels to be in love

Since the first day I saw you.

The moment I looked at you

I thought I had reached Heaven.

 

I know what it feels like,

To be in love with you.

The moment we locked eyes,

However briefly,

I ceased to exist as myself

And was reborn in you.

 

I know what it feels like,

To be in love with you.

It’s darkness and light.

It’s pain and cure.

It’s day and night.

Happiness and sadness

All at once…

It kills and revives

To be in love with you

And still I know it’s hopeless...

I want the unreachable,

I dream of the unattainable…

It’s just how it feels,

To be in love with you.

 

 

She’d loved the poem then and she certainly loved it now. She launched herself into Ashley’s arms, sending them toppling to the floor, and kissed her with all she had.

******

 

Lindsay opened the front door, just as her daughter was about to insert her key in the lock. She raised a curious eyebrow at the girl’s new black sweater and then burst out laughing when the girl turned around and showed her what was written on the back.

“It’s awesome, right?” The girl asked with a wide grin, walking inside and into the living room, where Cindy was sitting on the couch.

The reporter looked up from her laptop and then smiled when she saw the new sweater as well. “Interesting choice. Sam is creative.”

“Ha, she is creative but she never expected her gift. I’ll tell you all about that later…” The girl started digging through her bag in search of Lily’s present. Lindsay saw the small cringe in her lover’s demeanour at her daughter’s words and smiled to herself.

“Now, where is the junior spitfire? I want her not mad at me as soon as possible…”

“In her room, J-Lo’s new single ‘What is Love’ blaring though the speakers…” the inspector stated with a shake of the head.

Ashley grinned. “We saw that movie today. It was beyond hilarious!”

Lindsay chuckled and sat down next to Cindy, the girl disappearing down the corridor.

“I am pretty positive that they did not have se-”

“What have I said about that word being in the same sentence as my daughter’s name?!” The redhead asked, incredibly irked.

“I do love this protective side of yours. It’s rather sexy…” The brunette commented with a wolfish grin.

The redhead rolled her eyes in an exaggerated fashion, but could not fight the grin that took over.

******

 

Ashley knocked on her sister’s bedroom door and then walked in, figuring the girl wouldn’t hear it over the blaring music. She was sitting at her desk, attempting to do her math homework and grumbling about it.

The brunette stepped up to the stereo and turned it off, startling the redhead out of her equation induced mumblings. She swivelled around in her chair to glare at the perpetrator that had just turned off her concentration boost.

“Hi Lil.” The girl greeted with a grin, keeping her hands behind her back. “So, before you say or do anything… and please do refrain from giving me mom’s laser vision, because I have to say it’s rather scary coming from you… I wanted to give you this…” She straightened and brought her arms around, holding out a small wrapped box. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“How very thoughtful of you. When did you remember that we have a tradition that you so conveniently forgot in favour of spending the night at your girlfriend’s?” The redhead crossed her arms over her chest and glared defiantly.

The older brunette blinked. “Damn, you are mad…” She whispered and then hastened to explain her rather unfortunate predicament. “Look, I didn’t forget our tradition. I ordered this like… over a month ago. And they went and messed it up at the jewellery store. I had to get mom to flash her badge around to get it done by today; they only had it ready this afternoon.” She sighed and ran a hand through her messy brown locks. “I didn’t want you to be disappointed this morning when you’d come flying into my room and I didn’t have your gift because it wasn’t ready. So I changed my plans with Sam around, so I’d have this when you saw me today… I’m sorry about this mess.”

Lily sniffled and took the box from her sister’s hands, unwrapping it carefully and opening it. Her jaw dropped at what lay within; a golden bracelet with a penguin hugging a bright blue dolphin, with the inscription ‘To my favourite person in the world, A.’ on the inside.

“I know it’s not pink like all the others but I figured you’d like it anyway…”

For the second time that day, Ashley was tackle-hugged, almost falling to the floor.

“Oh my God, Ash. I’m so sorry for snapping at you today…” The younger girl released her sister long enough to wipe her tears on her sleeve and put on the bracelet, before she hugged her again.

The older girl grinned. “It’s okay Lil. I’m sorry about not telling you before…”

“It wasn’t your fault… I love it; best Valentine’s day gift ever!” Lily beamed, releasing the girl from her grasp. “Did mom really go waving her badge around?”

“She did. The guy almost pissed his pants. Oh, and then today when I went to pick it up…” She lowered her voice to whisper conspiratorially “… along with mom’s gift for their Valentine’s Day celebration… He was being an ass and I called mom again. Aunt Denise was listening in and asked to speak with the idiot… Even more effective than mom’s badge wielding swagger.”

The redhead giggled. “I so have to call aunt Denise and ask about it! Oh, hang on…” She dashed to her closet, moved some things around and presented her sibling with a rather big gift. “This one’s yours…”

Ashley raised an eyebrow; from the weight it seemed like a big stuffed animal. She tore away the paper and then grinned widely.

“Oh wow! This is awesome!” She was now the proud owner of light sabre wielding penguin, with the words ‘I protect dreams and penguins everywhere!’ stitched on its front. She gave the younger girl a tight hug. “I have to show this one to mom!”

She took two steps towards the door before Lily was calling her back. “Hey wait. Is that Sam’s gift? Let me see!”

Ashley grinned and faced her sister again, holding out her arms so the she could take a good look at the bold red writing. There was a cute looking cupid holding a bow with an arrow…

“ _Cupid shot me here_ … ” The redhead read out loud, giggling at the golden stitched line than connected the small cupid’s arrow to a circle on the right shoulder. Ashley turned around and Lily read out the rest “ _And it hurt. A lot. But I got a girl’s number…_ ”

The 15 year old laughed. “You really ought to thank Martha for chasing after those squirrels and causing Sam to land on you. You ended up in the hospital and with a girl’s phone number… Who knew…”

Ash stuck her tongue out at her cheeky sibling and left the room to show off her new penguin, Lily following her soon after.

 

 


End file.
